What If
by umdsweetheart
Summary: She runs away from him, seventeen years later a answered letter brings her back to England and the man she ran from. A Harry and Hermione two-shot strongly based on Letters to Juliet
1. Chapter 1

**Sparked by Hermione's "We should just stay here..." quote in Harry Potter 7 part 1...combined with Letter to Juliet, I give you What If...it's 3:01 in the morning and I apparently had to write this whole story...I couldn't focus on anything else. I do not own the rights to Harry Potter or Letters to Juliet...I just used parts to give y'all this little gem...well anyways please enjoy.**

 **What If?**

 **Somewhere in the Forest of Dean; December 9** **th** **1997**

"We should just stay here 'Mione." He said looking at the brunette siting, leaning against an old oak tree, blankets draped around her, book open in her lap. "Grow old together." She looked up from her book, eyes full of love and regret.

"You know we can't Harry, you have to end this." He nodded his understanding. It had been a fool's hope, and she wouldn't be his Hermione if she had said anything different.

 **Hogwarts Castle; Battle; May 2** **nd** **1998**

"I've known for a while now, and I think you have too." He saw the tears form in her eyes and wished it all wasn't true, but he knew it was. He was the last horocux.

"I'll go with you." She said launching herself into his arms. But he couldn't let her; he couldn't make her watch him die. He shook his head and spoke to Ron, who was watching the exchange.

"Kill the snake, kill the snake and then it's just him." Ron nodded not trusting his voice to say anything. Hermione slowly pulled herself away from him, tears streaming down her face. He left before she chose to follow him anyways. He left.

 **Hogwarts Castle; Post Battle; May 3** **rd** **1998**

He had been looking for her, searching for her. He had to know she was safe, that she survived. She was all that mattered to him. When they saw each other, they collided; embracing each other tighter then ever before both thanking Merlin the other was safe. But people were looking for him. Everyone wanted to talk to him. He was the savior, their hero. He just wanted her, her and him, alone.

"Meet me, by our tree by the lake. Let's leave. Let's get away from all of this, and just grow old together, just you and me." He whispered in her ear. She nodded her head and said she would. He bolted for the Great Hall, eager to get away from the masses and start his life with her. But she never showed. He waited hours for her, til dark settled over Hogwarts again but she didn't show.

 **Juliet's House, Verona Italy; June 3** **rd** **1998**

A petite young brunette sat in Juliet's courtyard. Surrounding her were various women of all ages. Most were crying like she, all writing letters to attach to the wall in front of them. She felt like a coward, unworthy of the House Gryffindor. But she couldn't go back now. She prayed for guidance.

 **Verona Italy, August 7** **th** **2015**

Theodore Lupin and his fiancé Victoria Weasley, were exploring Verona when they came upon Juliet's courtyard. Victoria as a child was read the story of the star-crossed lovers. She always thought the story was simply heart breaking. She noticed all the crying women attaching notes to the wall and one woman with a basket collecting them all. Being the inspiring journalist she was, under Padma Patil at the Daily Prophet, her interest was peaked.

"Ted, dear, wait for me back at the hotel. There's something I want to check out." Ted nodded his understanding before kissing his witch and watching her follow the woman with the basket.

Victoria followed the woman through the streets, into a restaurant, through the restaurant, up some hidden stairs in the back and into a small office with three other women. They introduced themselves; Isabella, Francesca, Donatella, and Maria. They explained that they were the Secretaries of Juliet, they responded to letters left for Juliet, to help heal the broken hearts of the women that left them. Donatella answers the husband problems; she has been married to the same man for 51 years. Francesca is a nurse, so she answers all the letters due to illness and loss. Maria has 12 children, 29 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren; she writes whatever she likes. And Isabella responds to the ones you can barely read; the lovers' quarrels, the break-ups, and the really tangled hearts. Victoria was blown away. She went to the hotel that night asking to stay a few days in Verona longer to be apart of something so wonderful. Teddy, never being able to tell her no before, didn't hesitate to tell her yes.

 **Juliet's Courtyard; August 8** **th** **2015**

The following day found Victoria pulling letters off the wall with Isabella. As she pulled two letters stuffed in a crack the whole brick fell out causing her to drop the letters she was pulling. As she bent down to pick them up she noticed that in the hole there was a letter hidden. She pulled it out surprised that she found something so hidden. Grabbing the letter she could feel the faint traces of old magic in the paper, she knew whoever wrote this letter was a witch.

Victoria and Isabella took the letters back to the office and in front of the group she read the letter out loud.

 _I didn't go to him Juliet._

 _I didn't go to Harry._

 _His green eyes so full trust._

 _I promised I'd meet him, and run away together, to grow old together._

 _But instead I left him waiting for me under our tree, waiting and wondering where I was._

 _I'm in Verona now._

 _I head to Australia in the morning, and I'm so afraid._

 _Please Juliet, tell me what I should do._

 _My heart is breaking, and I have no-one else to turn to._

 _Love Hermione_

"It's dated 1998." Victoria said, her mind working over time. 1998 was when the war ended, and there was only one Hermione who sent her parents to Australia, she disappeared that year. She wondered if this was the same woman.

"And it's been there for all those years." She nodded.

"I have to write back."

"Then answer her." Isabella said handing a piece of parchment over to her.

It took a while for Victoria to form the words she used to write back to Hermione. She wasn't fully sure that this Hermione was _the_ Hermione she was thinking of, she would speak to Ted when she got back to the hotel room. But now she had to focus on replying to this woman. She was sure the woman was magical and would be sending the reply via owl. She spent the whole afternoon/evening writing her reply, slipping the letter from Hermione in the envelope when she was done. She set it aside to be sent out with the owl post tomorrow morning.

Back at the hotel room, Ted and her discussed the possibility that it was _the Hermione Granger_ who fled after the final battle, who left Harry, and hadn't been seen or heard from since.

"What if it is her? Do you think she'll come back?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know darling. She's been gone for 17 years."

"But think if it is her, what if she still loves him, like he still loves her."

"He would finally be happy. I mean he had me, but I could never replace the whole she left."

"Why did she leave, Ted?"

"No-body knows Vicky, no-one knows." Victoria sighed and leaned into her fiancé. She hoped it was Hermione. No one had seen Harry happy with anyone since she disappeared.

 **A cottage in Australia; August 10** **th** **2015**

She was sitting out on the pouch reading the Australian paper, when an owl flew up and landed on the rail in front of her. She was shocked an owl showed up here, owls didn't frequent Australia. She hadn't seen any actually since she fled England all those years ago when she came to find her parents.

She took the letter from the owl.

"I'm sorry I don't have any treats for you, but there is some toast inside you can help yourself to and I'll get you water in a minute.

Upon opening the letter and reading the first few sentences she dropped her coffee, the mug shattering on the ground. Pulling her wand from her holder she fixed the mug, and walked into the cottage.

"I guess it's time I returned to England." She said as she finished reading the letter and poured some water for the exhausted owl.


	2. Chapter 2

**And here is part two. enjoy.**

 **Juliet's Courtyard; August 11** **th** **2015**

It took her a day tie up all her loose ends in Australia, pack her things, and leave. She had been in the courtyard for a few hours now, staring at the wall that she had stared at so long ago. Eventually, an Italian beauty started collecting the letters of the day. Shortly after she started a petite red hair girl, no older then 17 ran up to help. They exchanged pleasantries as Hermione watched. She knew that hair color. Her thoughts drifting back to that year, Fleur was pregnant when the final battle started. It must be her child that managed to bring Hermione racing back to see if maybe, Harry would still be there.

Hermione followed the two women, hoping to get some form of answers. When she reached the office she saw the Weasley girl grabbing letters to pass out. She knocked on the open door.

They all looked up at her, recognition crossed the Weasley girls eyes followed but guarded hope.

"I'm looking for whoever wrote this letter to me."

"Are you Hermione?" The Weasley girl asked. Hermione nodded. "Are you _the_ Hermione? Hermione Granger?" Again she nodded. Victoria screamed. "It is you! I found you! Oh wait until I tell Ted, Harry will be so happy." Hermione held a guarded smile on her face, unsure how to take the bouncing Weasley girl.

"Ted? As in little Theodore Lupin?" She asked trying to figure things out. Victoria nodded.

"Yes. After Remus and Tonks' deaths Harry took care of Ted. I'm Victoria Weasley, Fleur and Bill's oldest child. She looked around and realized that this probably wasn't the best place to have this conversation. "How about we go for a walk Hermione. I'll tell you everything." Hermione nodded. Victoria and Hermione walked out of the restaurant and down the cobblestone streets.

"I'm sure you're wondering how things were after the war." She could tell that Hermione wanted information but her pride wouldn't let her ask. "Well Harry took care of Ted, the twins built their store back up, Fred married Angelina and George married Katie, Charlie is still a dragon trainer, Percy married Audrey, Ron married Lavender, Ginny married Neville. They all have kids except uncle Charlie, and Harry who never married."

"How is he?" Victoria smiled as they walked.

"He dotes on Ted, but he's never let a women into his life. He used to talk about you when were younger, went to look for you a few times too. He's never gotten over you Hermione." She saw Hermione hang her head in shame.

"He wouldn't want to see me, I don't know why I came back." She turned to walk away.

"Because you love him, and you hope he still loves you." Hermione kept walking. "He does, by the way." Hermione stopped cold. "He still loves you. Come back to England with us. Come back to Harry."

 **Ted and Vicky's Flat, London; August 12** **th** **2015**

Hermione was pacing back and forth in their small living room. Harry was due any minute and Hermione was panicking.

"He wont want to see me." She kept muttering. Ted chuckled a bit at the woman his Godfather held a torch for, for two decades.

"He'll be thrilled, Hermione." He paused when he heard a knock on the door. "He's here, stay there I'll bring him to you." She nodded as she continued to pace and wring her hands. She heard the happy exchange between Godfather and Godson.

"Did you enjoy your trip Teddy?"

"I did, dad, come here I have a surprise for you."

 _Oh no._ Hermione thought, _this is it!_ Ted led a smiling Harry into the living room. Hermione finally stopped pacing and looked up at the boy she ran from all those years ago. When Harry saw her, his heart and body stopped. Standing in front of him was the angel from his dreams, the key to his heart long ago locked away.

"'Mione?" He whispered, scared if he closed his eyes and reopened them she'd be gone.

"It's her dad." Ted said giving Harry a little shove. "I'll leave you two alone for a minute." He said before walking into the kitchen where his fiancé was.

"Hermione?" He said a little louder.

"I'm here." Was all she could say. Before she could blink he was right in front of her. Then she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug.

"'Mione I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, I'm sorry I'm late." He laughed a bit, the woman of his dreams back in his arms.

 **Reception Hall; Post Wedding; November 4** **th** **2015**

Harry and Hermione sat at the head table smiling and laughing with each other, both blissfully happy after getting married only a few hours earlier. Having re-integrated Hermione back into all their lives, Harry and Hermione tried to make up for lost time.

After tapping his glass getting the halls attention Harry stood up.

"I thought this day would never come, I still think I'll wake from this wonderful dream, but for now I will enjoy my time with my wife whom I've loved since we were 14." He leaned down, kissed Hermione's hand before whispering to her that it was her turn. She cleared her throat.

"17 years ago, I panicked and ran from the wizarding world. Before I could comepletely leave I wrote a letter to Juliet and two months ago I got an answer. Victoria, can I read the words you wrote me?" Victoria who was sitting with Ted nodded.

 _Dear Hermione,_

' _What' and 'If' are two words as non-threatening as words can be._

 _But put them side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life._

 _What if? What if? What if?_

 _I don't know how your story ended but if what you felt was true love, then it's never too late._

 _If it was true then, why wouldn't it be true now?_

 _You need only the courage to follow your heart, the courage to reach out and seize the love._

 _And Hermione, if you didn't, I hope one day that you will._

 _All my love,_

 _Juliet._

Hermione noticed that there wasn't a dry eye in the hall. Ted and Victoria were gazing into each others eye longingly.

"Thank you Victoria, for giving me the courage to come home." Victoria looked at the older witch and smiled. Harry for her soon to be Godfather-in-law and his new wife.

 **That's all...review if you feel like it!**


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